He came to prominence in
the early 1980s and was part of the alternative comedy boom; he is probably
best known for his comedy roles in the television series The Young Ones
(1982–1984) and Bottom (1991–2003), for which he also wrote together
with his long-time collaborative partner Rik Mayall; Edmondson also
appeared in the ''Comic Strip Presents...'...' series of films throughout
the 1980s and 90s; for one episode of this he created the spoof heavy
metal band Bad News and for another he played his nihilistic alter-ego
Eddie Monsoon, an offensive South African television star.

He played the lead role in the 1985 spin-off feature film, The Supergrass;
in the 2000s Edmondson appeared in numerous TV programmes in more serious
drama roles including Jonathan Creek, Holby City, Miss Austen Regrets,
as himself on Hell's Kitchen and created the sitcom Teenage Kicks; but
since 2006 Edmondson has concentrated increasingly on music instead
of acting, forming the band 'The Bad Shepherds' and performing and writing
for the 'Bonzo Dog Doo Dah' Band and in 2011 he presented two shows
for ITV,The Dales focussing on people working in the Yorkshire Dales
and Ade in Britain in which Edmondson undertook a tour of numerous places
in Britain.

Edmondson first got into drama because of Michael Aubrey, his english
teacher at Pocklington Grammar school, who encouraged him to pursue
drama, casting him in a number of school plays and allowing him to take
time out of other lessons to practice drama; he enjoyed it that much
that he went on to the University of Manchester to study drama, where
he met his future comedy partner Rik Mayall, who became one of his best
friends; Edmondson graduated with a 2:1 degree and then found work in
the alternative comedy scene.

Under the name '20th Century Coyote', Edmondson and Mayall became one
of the star attractions at The Comedy Store; as their popularity grew,
Edmondson, Mayall and other upcoming comedians including Nigel Planer,
Peter Richardson, Alexei Sayle and French and Saunders split away from
the Comedy Store to set up their own venue: The Comic Strip club; the
club soon gained a reputation as one of the most popular comedy clubs
in London and soon came to the attention of Channel 4.

Edmondson and the others were commissioned to act in six self-contained
half-hour films, using the group as comedy actors rather than stand-up
performers; the series entitled 'The 'Comic Strip Presents...'' debuted
on 2 November 1982, which was also the opening night of Channel 4; the
first episode to be broadcast was "Five Go Mad in Dorset", a parody
of Enid Blyton's Famous Five, which drew anger from some viewers for
the way it mercilessly satirised a children's classic; Edmondson starred
as one of the five.

At the same time as The 'Comic Strip Presents...' was being negotiated,
the BBC signed up Edmondson, Mayall, Richardson, Planer and Sayle to
star in The Young Ones, a sitcom in the same anarchic style as The Comic
Strip; Richardson later decided not to proceed and was replaced by Christopher
Ryan; the show revolved around a shared house where four students lived
during their study at Scumbag College; it was noted at the time of its
first airing for its violent slapstick, with Edmondson's character Vyvyan
as the main instigator and this is a trait which has stayed with him
throughout his career; the series captured public imagination and remains
one of Britain's most popular sitcoms.

Following the success of the 'Comic Strip Presents...'... and, to a
greater extent, 'The Young Ones', Edmondson and Mayall returned to their
"Coyote" dynamic in the double act "The Dangerous Brothers" with Edmondson
as "Sir Adrian Dangerous" in Saturday Live (1985–1987); in 1983, he
appeared as the lead singer Vim Fuego in the spoof heavy metal band
called the Bad News, with his Young Ones co-stars Rik Mayall, Nigel
Planer and Peter Richardson of ''Comic Strip Presents...'

On 11 May 1985, Edmondson married his Comic Strip fellow Jennifer Saunders,
with whom he has three daughters: Eleanor, Beatrice and Freya; Edmondson's
university nickname of "Eddie Monsoon," a play on his surname, inspired
the name of Saunders' character, Edina Monsoon on Absolutely Fabulous
and his own characters Eddie Catflap (Filthy Rich & Catflap) and Eddie
Hitler (Bottom), they jointly set up their own production company called
Mr and Mrs Monsoon Limited; also in 1985 Edmondson starred with Saunders
in Happy Families, a rural comedy drama written by Ben Elton which appeared
on the BBC and told the story of the dysfunctional Fuddle family.

In 1991, Edmondson teamed up again with his comedy partner Rik Mayall,
this time co-writing and co-starring in their own sitcom, Bottom; Edmondson
starred as "Edward Elizabeth Hitler" opposite Mayall's "Richard Richard.";
the series featured the slapstick and crude humour for which the pair
had become famous; the sitcom was very popular, but it was criticised
for its often vulgar humour.